Card table



Much 10, 1931.

. llll ATTORNE H. c. BRYANT 1,795,592

CARD TABLE Filed Oct. 16, 1928 March 10, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1931 PATENT OFFICE HARRIET CRANE BRYANT, OF IPOTSDAM, NEW YORK 1 CARD TABLE Application filed October 16, 1928.

My invention relates to card tables of a type suitable for use in playing card games of various kinds, such as bridge, whist, duplicate bridge or contract whist, euchre, or in fact practically any game which is played by means of hands of cards dealt out for the purpose. 7

My table admits of many general uses, but is specially adapted for replaying games or portions thereof, in case of dispute as to a particular point involved in the play.

For purposes of my invention'I use a table top, journaled upon a table frame and there with being as light, as manageable, and as easily folded and stored as is the case with any ordinary card table.

By virtue of'my invention, my table is well adapted for use in playing duplicate card games, or for replaying any particular hand or hands of any card game ,whether the replay is tobe done at once or afterthe lapse of a period of time sufficient to block from memory theleads of cards of that hand.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters inclicate like parts throughout theseveral figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view, showing my improved table top, and indicating by full and broken lines how the same may be turned step by step relatively to the table body.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the table and its top.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, partly a 4 plan and partly a section, of the table top,

showing the card compartments thereof as open.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary inverted plan or bottom view of the table, the table legs being shown in section. V

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section, on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated'by the arrows.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6'-6 of Figure 1, looking in the direction as indicated by the arrows.

Figure 7 is a section, taken upon the same plane as Figure 5, but showing the card compartments as closed and clamped.

A table frame appears at 8, and is support- Serial No. 312,765.

ed by table legs 9. Braces 10 extend from the table frame to the table legs, and serve to strengthen the latter.

Connected with the table frame are a pair of cross bars 11,11, partially cut away at their middles and thus provided with thin portions 12, to bring the cross bars practically into the same plane, as indicated in Figure 6.

A bolt 13, shown in the figure last men: tioned, is fitted with a nut 14 and extends through both of the cross bars and also through the table top, as shown at 15.

The table top 15 is square, and made in a single piece, and is adapted to turn upon the bolt 13 as a centre, as indicated by full and broken lines in Figure 1.

The table frame 8 carries a drawer 16, provided with a knoblZ, whereby it may be opened and closed. This drawer engages a pair of slide rails 18, 18,.whereby its weight is supported, and which are secured rigidly to the table frame. This drawer may be used to hold pencils, score cards, erasers and the like, for convenient use with any game.

The four sides of the table top are alike, as may be understood from Figure 1.

Each of the sides is provided with a groove 19, the form of which can best be understood from Figures 3 and 5. This groove extends along the edge of the table, from a point 20 near one corner thereof to a point 21 which is a little further from the opposite corner. That is, the groove 19 is thus favorably positioned for use by a player who employs his right hand more than his left, as is usually the case.

The form of the groove 19 is shown more particularly in Figure 5. The groove as seen in cross section slants obliquely downward, away from the adjacent edge of the table, as indicated in Figure 5, its bottom being shown at 22. That is to say, the groove has the form of an undercut, a portion of it being overlapped by a beveled portion 23 of the table top.

Located within the groove 19 and spaced equidistant relatively to each. other are a number of partitions 2 the spaces between these partitions being so formed as to serve as compartments, for holding cards.

Associated with each groove 19 is a door 25, for opening and closing the groove as may be understood from Figures 5 and 7.

Another groove 26, somewhat like the groove 19 but considerably.shorter man the same, is located a little back of the groove 19, and toward the right of the player. The groove 26 is undercut like the groove 19, its bottom 27 being located as shown in Figure 5. The groove 26 is overlapped by a port-ion 28 of the table top.

A door 29 is provided for opening and closing the groove 26. This door 29 is like the door above described, but considerably shorter than the same.

Both the door 25 and the door 29 are secured in position by hinges 30 and are each normally free to swing back and forth as indicated in Figure 5. The doors 25 and 29 are provided with eyes 31 and 37 to facilitate opening and closing them.

I provide a number of metallic clamps 32, for use in locking the various doors. Each clamp 32 is simply an L-shaped bar, provided with a toe portion 33 as indicated in Figure 7. The clamp is applied in position as indicated in Figures 1 and 7, the toe portion 33 extending beneath the adjacent portion of the table frame 8.

Each clamp 32 is provided with a slot 34, and the table frame 8 carries four staples 35, one for each clamp. These staples are so located that when the clamp 32 is placed in position. as indicated in Figure 7, the staple 35 extends entirely through the slot 34. The staple can be used, in connection with a. little padlock, for so locking the clamp 32 as to hold the latter firmly in the position indicated in Figure 7, thus preventing the doors 2'5 and 29 from being opened.

The table frame 8 is provided with legend plates 36, each disposed adjacent one corner of the table frame, preferably at the players right. There are four of these legend plates, and they exhibit respectively the legends N, E, S and W, thus indicating the four cardinal directions of the compass, and thus, incidentally, the four walls of the room or the four directions in which the players are seat ed from the table.

The table top 15 is similarly provided with legend plates 37 of which there are four, and these also exhibit respectively the legends N, E, Sand W.

By this arrangement, the table top can be rotated so as to bring any legend N, E. S, W carried by it, into proximity to any legend N, E, S, \V, carried by the table frame.

This in practice means that the players can practically be brought to change. their places relatively to the table top, without moving the table frame, and without disturbing the players.

Each groove 19 has two compartments, each adapted to hold a small group of cards,

as indicated in Figure 3 at 38, 39, 40. Each groove 26 has two compartments, each suitable for holding a few cards, as indicated at 41, 42.

The ten compartments of the groove are indicated graphically by legends 1 to 10 inclusive, carried by the door 25; and the two compartments of the groove 26 are similarly indicated by legends 11 and 12 carried by the door 29.

As the number of card games which may be played by aid of this card table is very large, and as my mechanism relates not so much to the technique of the game as it does to convenience in playing, I do not deem it necessary to describe in detail any special card game, or to point out any relationship between any particular game and my mechanism.

The operation of my device is as follows: The players being seated around the table, the cards are dealt out in hands, and the game is played in the manner well known in this art.

During the progress of the game each player places groups of cards in the compartments 1 to 12, and removes them as required.

If at the end of a particular game or at a particular stage in any game it be advisable to postpone playing, and to leave the table and the various hands of cards in such condition that playing can afterward be resumed exactly where it left off, the cards are left in the various compartments and the doors are closed, or even looked if this be desirable.

hen the playing is to be resumed, the doors are opened, whereupon each player finds the entire situation where it was at first.

In some games, it is desirable to practically shift the positions of the players relatively to the table top. In such cases, the table top is simply turned, usually to the extent of a quarter of a revolution, and hence, y thus turning it four times in succession, it is left: in its original position.

I do not limit myself tov the precise mechanism here illustrated and described, as variations may be made therein Without departing from my invention, the scope of which is commensurate with my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lettors Patent is as follows 1. A card table comprising a table frame and a table top carried thereby, said table top having the form of a board and being provided with grooves cut therein, said grooves being inclined obliquely downward from the top surface of said table, said table top being provided with port-ions overhanging said grooves, and doors sunken into said table top and normally flush with the upper surface thereof and closing said grooves, said doors being flat inorder to render the surface of said table top substantially plane, said doors being small as compared with the extent of said grooves but large enough to close the openings thereof.

2. A card table comprising a table frame and a table top carried thereby, said table top having the form of a board and being provided with grooves cut therein, and inclined obliquely downward from the upper surface of said table top, said table top being further provided with portions overhanging the openings of said grooves, said grooves being divided into separate compartments for holding separate groups of cards, and doors carried by said table top and normally sunken thereinto and closing'said grooves, said doors being small as compared with the extent of said grooves, but completely closing said openings.

3. A card table comprising a table frame and a table top carried thereby, said table top having the form of a board flat upon its upper surface and provided with grooves out therein and inclined obliquely downward from said upper surface, said table top being further provided with portions overhanging portions of said grooves, and with openings merging into said grooves, said grooves being clivided into separate compartments for holding groups of cards, doors carried by said table top, and normally closing said openings, and clamps carried by said table top for holding said doors closed and flush with the upper surface of said table top.

4. In a card table, the combination of a table frame and a table top carried by said table frame, said table top having compartments cut into the upper surface of said table top and extending obliquely downward therefrom, and doors carried by said table top for closing said compartments, said doors being normally sunken flush with the adj acent surface of said table top, thus rendering said adjacent surface substantially plane.

5. In a card table, the combination of a table frame and a table top mounted upon said table frame, said table top having the form of a flat board and being provided with a plurality of grooves cut obliquely thereinto and so positioned that one of said grooves slightly overlaps another, and doors carried by said table top for closing said grooves, said doors being sunken relatively to said table top in order to render the surface thereof substantially plane.

6. In a card table, the combination of a table frame and a table top carried by said table frame, said table top having card compartments undercut thereinto, doors carried by said table top for closing said card compartments, said doors being flat and normally sunken flush with the adjacent surface of said table top, thus rendering said adjacent surface substantially level, and a plurality of separate clamps each detachably fitted upon said table frame and said table top, in order to engage said doors.

Signed at Potsdam, in the county of St. Lawrence and State of New York, this 13th day of October, 1928.

HARRIET CRANE BRYANT. 

